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Zigzag

Why was not my peach finished and brilliant like a billiard ball?

It would have been if man had made it.

-From Peach, D.H. Lawrence

There is an element of joy and spontaneity in Ekta’s work that always captures my attention. There is afeeling of freedom in her paintings, and even her most intricate works exude a sense of ease. The pleasing irregularities and imperfections, the dripping paint, the crooked lines,give the work a handmade quality. She uses the most basic elements of lines, dots and colour to create fascinating art. Her compositions often combine elements that one would not think would sit well together, but Ekta surprises us with her ingenuity. Her work is a celebration of the imperfect, the flawed, and the spontaneous. It doesn’t strain for effect.

I have known Ekta my whole life and have closely observed her as she practiced her craft over the years.I have witnessed the amount of concentration and hours that she puts into each piece. She is a highly dedicated and driven artist, who has patiently honed her skills. The simplicity of her work is the result of rigorous practice, which has led her to develop an understanding of what needs to be said and what needs to be left out, so that in the end the narrative is clear and uncluttered. With the paintings that comprise this exhibition, Ekta has found her language.

The purpose of art, for me, is to provoke thought, to make us consider things in new light, to make us inquire how we respond to a work, and what our response tells us about ourselves. An observation of Ekta’s work makes me realise that there can be joy in our day-to-day work, and that hard work doesn’t necessarily mean labouring.